Forum Index > Trip Reports > More Southern Nevada Wilderness Rambles Feb. 4-5, 2015
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John Morrow
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics
Location: Roslyn
John Morrow
Member
PostMon Feb 09, 2015 7:56 am 
Feb 4. After some mountains I needed a canyon. Arrow Canyon Wilderness features a great deep limestone canyon with many petroglyphs. I turned it into a loop by exiting a south side-canyon into the heart of a creosote bush flats wilderness with distant mountain ranges. Strangely attractive. I then ascended to the rim and descended on nice tread to the start of the canyon at an old dam site. Getting over the dam involves the hardest part of the day: 30 feet of Batman-wall-climbing (actually descending) hand-under-hand on a fixed climbing rope. My palms were getting rope burn by the bottom. I-15 north out of Vegas to Hwy 168 heading west a few miles to a 3 mile rutted BLM road south to the trailhead. This canyon is a special place for the Moapa Band of the Paiute Tribe and the rock art dates from 1000 years ago to near present day. More pics of rock art and the canyon on my Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/sets/72157650651186376/
Humble beginning
Humble beginning
Will it really narrow?
Will it really narrow?
cactus on striations
cactus on striations
lineage
lineage
ahh, there it is
ahh, there it is
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Panel 1n
Panel 1n
Panel 1p
Panel 1p
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
side canyon exit
side canyon exit
out of side canyon
out of side canyon
go right at wash junction ahead
go right at wash junction ahead
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow and Sheep Ranges
Arrow and Sheep Ranges
Looking back in
Looking back in
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
along the rim
along the rim
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
cracked earth
cracked earth
easy surmount this side
easy surmount this side
crazy descent backside
crazy descent backside
get your batman on
get your batman on
Headed back
Headed back
the tights
the tights
greenery due to damming
greenery due to damming
love a narrow canyon
love a narrow canyon
Panel 3
Panel 3
Panel 3b
Panel 3b
Panel 2
Panel 2
Panel view
Panel view
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Arrow Canyon Wilderness, NV
Feb. 5 This was an absolutely fabulous day in the Muddy Mountains Wilderness! I-15 to Valley of Fire Exit, 3 miles east to the BLM Bitter Backcountry Byway, to a High Clearance required Colorock Quarry Trailhead Road for 5 more miles. Awesome camping. This is access to a wonderland known as Hidden Valley. I originally wanted to backpack but ended up doing it as a looong day. A giant Tinaja in the sandstone provides great water. 12 Bighorn Rams had just visited and I watched them as small specs ascending out of the valley (binocs). Hidden Valley was definitely a place for the old ones as there is much rock art. (An overnight would afford greater surveying). Then I ascended to the saddle between Muddy Mountain 5433' and Muddy Peak 5387'. These are two classic desert mountain climbs: Muddy BM is a P2K and Muddy Peak features a pure NW Ridge Class 3 exposed and solid limestone scramble. Go get it!!!! This place is special. I will someday return to explore for rock art. Slideshow worth viewing: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/sets/72157650307243047/show
Approach to the Muddys.  Access from I-15 to Valley of Fire Road
Approach to the Muddys. Access from I-15 to Valley of Fire Road
North Ridge of Muddy Mountain and NW Ridge of Muddy Peak
North Ridge of Muddy Mountain and NW Ridge of Muddy Peak
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Valley light, Colorock Quarry
Valley light, Colorock Quarry
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Kachina?
Kachina?
Alcove1
Alcove1
Picto-Petro
Picto-Petro
Picto
Picto
???
???
the alcove
the alcove
Wash wall panel
Wash wall panel
Busy
Busy
many designs
many designs
holding hands
holding hands
common snake
common snake
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
In Hidden Valley
In Hidden Valley
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
great sandstone
great sandstone
1st destination Muddy BM
1st destination Muddy BM
2nd destination Muddy Peak
2nd destination Muddy Peak
the Muddy Mtn BM scramble
the Muddy Mtn BM scramble
Vegas!
Vegas!
summit register dates back
summit register dates back
headed for that crest
headed for that crest
Down at Bowl of Fire
Down at Bowl of Fire
diagonal up and left at base of cliffs.
diagonal up and left at base of cliffs.
Hidden Valley Arch upper left
Hidden Valley Arch upper left
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV.
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV.
Class 3 Muddy Pk NW. Ridge
Class 3 Muddy Pk NW. Ridge
Fantastic Scramble!
Fantastic Scramble!
Muddy Peak great climb!
Muddy Peak great climb!
the whole ridge run
the whole ridge run
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
solid limestone (descending)
solid limestone (descending)
the well known gully on NW. Ridge
the well known gully on NW. Ridge
very nice Class 3
very nice Class 3
Loop opportunity! E. Ridge descent
Loop opportunity! E. Ridge descent
Down at Hidden Valley
Down at Hidden Valley
the North Face of the north point!
the North Face of the north point!
Great east ridge descent
Great east ridge descent
Descending sandstone now
Descending sandstone now
fun!
fun!
So colorful
So colorful
Aztec Sandstone Formation
Aztec Sandstone Formation
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Key Tinaja for backpacking
Key Tinaja for backpacking
.
.
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV 
Shallow alcove Hidden Valley
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV Shallow alcove Hidden Valley
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Muddy Mountains Wilderness, NV
Rock lines and water pockets
Rock lines and water pockets

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker



Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 3361 | TRs | Pics
Location: West Seattle
zephyr
aka friendly hiker
PostMon Feb 09, 2015 8:33 pm 
John Morrow wrote:
Descending sandstone now
Descending sandstone now
Wow! This sandstone is gorgeous! What a magical walk this must have been. Thanks for sharing it with us. ~z

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Rainie Too!
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Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 377 | TRs | Pics
Rainie Too!
Member
PostMon Feb 09, 2015 11:00 pm 
Soooo jealous! Hope you are really enjoying it!

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ofuros
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Joined: 04 Feb 2015
Posts: 45 | TRs | Pics
Location: Gondwana....Australia.
ofuros
Member
PostMon Feb 09, 2015 11:09 pm 
Enjoyed it too! Thanks. up.gif

...always dreaming of far off adventures. https://ofuros.exposure.co/
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ree
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Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 4399 | TRs | Pics
ree
Member
PostThu Feb 12, 2015 2:35 pm 
Ooh, I am jealous too. We surveyed Muddy Mtns. from the dam last Dec. and I thought that would be a cool area to explore. The mountains looked pretty big and prominent. Judging by the petroglyphs, the area must get a bit of snakes. Not sure I'd want to get out there when the weather is hot. Thanks very much for the post. It's now on our to-do list out there.

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Dean
(aka CascadeHiker)



Joined: 02 Mar 2002
Posts: 1967 | TRs | Pics
Location: ex Kennewick, Wa & Lehi Utah
Dean
(aka CascadeHiker)
PostFri Feb 13, 2015 8:42 am 
Those are two neat areas. I enjoyed your pics up.gif up.gif and comments about your visit. I've been to the top of the Arrow Peak range and also to the summit of Muddy BM. Those are true desert areas but beautiful. Another neat area down there is the Mormon Mountain area. Love TR's like this.

Dean - working in Utah for awhile and feeling like it is a 'paid' vacation. http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=1160
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Forum Index > Trip Reports > More Southern Nevada Wilderness Rambles Feb. 4-5, 2015
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